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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28231137">Your Garden Will Finally Grow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMirror/pseuds/SpaceMirror'>SpaceMirror</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luke's Love Language is Songwriting [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arguing, Flowers, Gen, Luke and Reggie are best friends, Songfic, Songwriting, reggie is a sweetheart, song is garden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:21:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,365</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28231137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMirror/pseuds/SpaceMirror</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke realizes something is wrong with Reggie first. Of course, he has to write a song about it. </p><p>Title is from Garden by Meet Me @ The Altar</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson &amp; Reggie Peters &amp; Alex Mercer &amp; Bobby|Trevor Wilson (Julie and the Phantoms)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luke's Love Language is Songwriting [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051076</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Your Garden Will Finally Grow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by Garden by Meet Me @ The Altar! Go stream it it's amazing! https://youtu.be/SSFWTNbuteQ</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold my hand</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Through all the bad things, you seem</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A little better since you now believe</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I won't ever drop you like you are old news</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke notices first. Of course, he does, he’s known Reggie the longest. He notices how pale is he, how he seems to demolish lunch at school, how his eyes are starting to sink into his skull. He brings it up to his mom, and she starts sending him to school with an extra sandwich or pack of chips. Reggie doesn’t always take them, though. In fact, most of the time, Luke has to sneak them into his backpack or physically press them into his hands before they walk into the cafeteria. He doesn’t bring it up with Bobby and Alex though. If Reg had wanted them to know, he would have told them all outright. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Clear the air</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What has been going on?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah for a while you've been feeling wrong</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just hoping that life would feel like it used to</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Luke notices when Reggie starts spending more time at Alex’s house. He says it’s because he likes hanging out with Alex and his family, but his parents mostly speak in scripture and bigotry, and his sister is too young to be as cool as them. They mostly sit in Alex’s room, doing homework, or listening to music, talking about nothing, according to Alex. Luke knows that if it were really important, Reggie would come to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Chase down that crown</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You don't deserve to feel so down</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guarantee</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'm there for ya, there for ya</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Bobby approaches Luke after Reggie is late to practice for the third time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is something up with Reg?” He asks, instead of a normal greeting, when he meets Luke outside of his house on their way to school. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know.” He says because he doesn’t.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should talk to him.” That’s Bobby, direct as ever. Luke just pushes his backpack over his shoulder as they walk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’ll tell us when he’s ready.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if he never is?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it was never a big deal.” Bobby rolls his eyes and quickens his speed. Luke almost has to jog to keep up with the taller boy. Bobby finally slows down as they approach Alex’s house, the blonde boy standing outside in that hoodie he wears when his dad leaves the house early. Luke’s shirt is already starting to stick to his skin in the L.A heat, and he wishes Bobby’s dad would let them use the van to get to school, instead of only for band performances and stuff. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll always be right here</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When everything's unclear</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please promise you won't let go</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold on 'til the morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Forget all the scoring</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your flowers will finally grow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I needed you to know</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Bobby’s words stuck in Luke’s head all day. If whatever is bothering Reggie is a big deal, why wouldn’t he bring it to them? They’re closer to friends, they’re brothers. Reggie takes the sandwich Luke’s mom had packed without much fuss, but the bags under his eyes suggest he’s too tired to put up a fight. Alex tries to ask him about it, but Reggie just brushes him off with an obviously faked smile and a well-timed joke about the band’s newest inspiration, Nirvana.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Spent your days</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Glued to your telephone</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And hoped that maybe you'd feel less alone</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And find yourself through a post again</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But it's</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All the same</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Except that you're not alone</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because in me you'll always have a home</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll drop it all and come running</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just say when</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Chase down that crown</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You don't deserve to feel so down</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as Reggie hides behind the leather jacket and ripped black jeans, his bandmates know that he’s, with all due respect, a puppy. Reginald Peters is a puppy in human form, one of the kindest people in the world. Luke’s mom often muttered that she was worried about Reggie since the world is often not kind to people with hearts as soft as his. It’s ridiculous, Luke thinks, that the world would ever dare be harsh to Reggie. The boy spent most of his time on the beach, or at the library. He’ll stop to help every kitten and dog on the street, he’ll give his lunches to homeless people on their pier, he takes his share of tips from their busking and gives it to other performers. He brings his mom flowers on every holiday that he could. He’d try to hide it, but his mom always stuck one of the flowers in his hair or in his backpack before ushering him out to school. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know you'll see I</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Will always be right here</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When everything's unclear</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please promise you won't let go</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold on 'til the morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Forget all the scoring</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your flowers will finally grow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll always be right here</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When everything's unclear</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please promise you won't let go</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold on 'til the morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Forget all the scoring</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your garden will finally grow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I needed you to know</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I needed you to know</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s in the middle of English class of all places where the first lyrics come to Luke. They aren’t Sunset Curve, not at first, but they don’t have to be. This isn’t a song for Sunset Curve. It’s a song for Reggie. It’s the chorus, he thinks, jotting them down beside his notes about whatever Shakespeare Mrs. Hills is having them read. It takes a second to realize why ‘your garden will finally grow’ repeats in his head, but it hits him as Mrs. Hills rambles about some soliloquy. Mrs. Peter’s birthday was last week, and Reggie had shown up to school without a single flower on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll never forget</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When you came to my doorstep</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>With tears on your shirt</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah I swear I'll do</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything for you cause it</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hurts to see you hurt</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The bridge comes to Luke when Reggie does, late at night, and tears streaming down his cheeks. He’d been working on the song, wanting to show it to Alex and Bobby the next morning, but rocks thrown at his window distracted him. When he opened the window, he did have to duck the rock that was aiming for the glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reg?” Reggie is standing on the ground, arm raised to throw another rock. “It’s like 11 at night, what are you doing here?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I had to get out of the house. Can I come up, just for a bit?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah of course.” Two minutes later, Luke is pulling Reggie through his window, trying not to wake his parents in the next room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just had to get out." As much as Luke wants to, he doesn't push. He lets Reggie pretend not to cry until he falls asleep in his bed. Luke falls asleep at his desk, and when he wakes up he tears out the song. Bobby and Alex can help him figure out the melody. He doesn't want to wake Reggie from what's probably the best sleep he's had in weeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll always be right here</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When everything's unclear</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please promise you won't let go</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold on 'til the morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Forget all the scoring</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your flowers will finally grow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'll always be right here</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When everything's unclear</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please promise you won't let go</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hold on 'til the morning</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Forget all the scoring</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your garden will finally grow</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I needed you to know</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they play the song, Reggie’s in tears, no matter how much he’ll deny it later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t really know what’s going on, Reg,” Alex says behind his drums, “but you know you can tell us anything, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They don’t rehearse that night, just stay together. Reggie explains how his parents’ fighting is getting worse; the fights are longer, louder, later into the night. Luke kicks himself over not realizing earlier, but he just wraps his arms around his friend. Bobby and Alex aren’t far behind, and they spend the night in the garage, an impromptu sleepover the way they did when they were young. The next morning the bags under Reggie’s eyes are just that much lighter. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sometimes you just gotta write about a guy writing his best friend a song. Twice. Anyway have a good day/noon/night! I love you!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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